7/19/17

SheIn Shopping & Sizing Tips + Linkup

Not too long ago, I was reluctant to purchase from any brands where I didn't have the option to make returns in store. I also passed on the opportunity to work with a few brands through the blog for that very reason, but I finally changed my mind when I came across an item I just had to have. (That particular item is sold out now, but if you're curious you can see it here.) Since then I've continued to work with brands like SheIn and Romwe, mainly because they have such cute stuff! Here are a few favorites you've seen previously on the blog:

Their items are my most-complimented pieces in real life. But there is a learning curve to ordering from these brands. I have read some posts by other bloggers that helped me (e.g. Amy Ann has some great tips here) along the way, and even though I am still learning, I do have a few tips and tricks of my own that I haven't seen elsewhere, so hopefully they will help some of you!

Also, I'm putting both brand names in here because although I think SheIn is more well known, Romwe carries a lot of the exact items (and they share a warehouse, so I do mean the exact same items!) and I have featured items from both places, so these tips apply to both.

Tip #1: Start with Pieces You've Seen on a Human
If you've never ordered from either of these companies before, I recommend starting with something you've seen on a blogger. It's especially helpful if they have a similar build to you and/or you know what size you typically wear relative to their size. This is safest way to shop and have some confidence in how the size and fit will be for you. I realize that sounds self-serving since as a blogger, of course I'd love for you to choose the items that I referred! But I genuinely believe it's the easiest, most foolproof method of initially familiarizing yourself with these brands.

As a blogger, I don't usually want to to choose something that I've already seen on a lot of bloggers, because I don't want to be just a copycat blogger. So I don't always follow that tip, however I still prefer items that have at least been shown either on a model in the stock photo or have some photos in the user reviews. I've had much better luck with pieces that I've seen on a human one way or another than with the items that have only been shown hanging on a hanger or a flatlay display. My worst choices/biggest fit problems came from tops that weren't shown on a person. Even though I am gifted these items, I still have to pay careful attention to fit because it's difficult to show things on the blog (and impossible to confidently recommend them) if I can't wear them myself!

Side note, and this is purely my own speculation, but I believe this is (at least partly) why companies like SheIn have a strong blogger outreach program. They need bloggers to take the "risk" with ordering these items to reduce concerns for their readers who can't try try anything on in store. Not to mention that from a cost perspective, it's easier for them to send clothes to bloggers all over the world than it is to open and operate retail stores all over the world.

Tip #2: Pay Close Attention to Measurements
Prior to shopping at these retailers, I never really paid attention to my own measurements or the measurements of clothes listed online except for the inseam of pants and shorts. But both SheIn and Romwe list a lot of specific measurements for their products that I don't usually see on U.S. retailers, and these measurements are key. Now that I own several tops from these brands, I compare their measurements against with anything I'm considering online to get a better idea of how something will fit. With tops, I always have to check the measurement for the bust and length or I can easily end up with something too tight or too short.

I thought it might be helpful to show a side-by-side of some pieces from SheIn and Romwe along with their sizes and their measurements as listed online:

Looking at these numbers can still be a bit confusing because what they don't tell you is from what point to what point the product measurements are taken. For example, the second top doesn't look 12 cm (or about 4.5") than the first top as stated! I measured these myself, and the first top does measure 48 cm from the top corner (where the strap attaches to the top) to the bottom. The second top measures 45.5 cm from top to bottom! I can only come up with the 60 cm length measurement they gave if I unfold the ruffle fabric and measure from the top of that to the bottom of the top...and it's not even possible to wear it that way. Luckily the boho top was shown on a model and had plenty of user-submitted photos (going back to tip #1!) when I ordered it so was able to get an accurate idea of fit from those pictures than from length measurements.

Tip #3: Take Note of the Model's Measurements
This is really a sub-point of tip one and two, but I'm giving it attention here since I didn't figure this out until I had already ordered several items from SheIn and Romwe. So just in case someone else hasn't noticed this yet, if you hover over the words "Model Measurements" on either website, the model's measurements will show up, along with the size she is wearing in the photo:

The photo on the left shows how the product is normally displayed. The red circle was added by me. By hovering your mouse over the red circle, you'll get the pop-up displayed on the right. (By the way, this top is yet another pretty top from SheIn.) I keep a measuring tape handy so I can compare the model's measurements to my own for a better idea of how the item will fit me.Tip #4: Pay Attention to the Stretch of the Fabric
On both Romwe and SheIn sites, the product description (near where the measurements are listed) will specify whether the fabric has stretch or not. I've found that if it has some stretch and I'm unsure about sizing, I can err on the smaller side (as long as it's not smaller than my own measurements, of course) and be comfortable. When it doesn't have stretch, I tend to err on the bigger size. That was the case with the coral crochet peplum top above. It had no stretch and I thought it still looked a bit snug on some of the reviewers who said it ran true to size. I wanted to be sure I could zip it all the way and up and still freely move my arms! So I sized up to a Medium and it's plenty roomy, but if it were too small it would be entirely unwearable and I didn't want to risk that.Lessons Learned the Hard Way
I mentioned that I've had some errors along the way prior to getting a little more savvy about measurement taking and comparison. This top is my favorite mistake (as Sheryl Crow would say) since it helped me learn a lot of my current ordering strategies. It wasn't shown on a model or any bloggers. It didn't have any reviews. I didn't know my own measurements or compare it to any other product measurements when I ordered it. I just thought it looked cute! Lots of rookie mistakes! In looking back now, I ordered it in a size Small, which is only 35 cm in length. That is way shorter than any of my other tops above, so no wonder it was a crop top on me! The bust is also listed as 68-78 cm. The fabric does have some stretch so it can probably stretch to 78 cm, but that is an extremely tight 78 cm and still smaller in the bust than any of the other tops I shared above. While I couldn't wear it, at least it's helped me figure out what does not work for me!

As you can see, so far all of my items have been tops because I've been too nervous to branch out into shorts, dresses, jeans etc. and go through the measuring and learning curve all over again. But I did recently order some shorts after doing a lot of measuring and comparing to pieces I own from other brands, and my fingers are crossed that I've honed my skills enough that they'll work out.

Also, depending on what you order, you SheIn allows you to pay $1.99-5.99 at the time of your order for Hassle Free Returns. For me, that would probably be worth it if I wanted to order multiple sizes or some 'higher risk" items that weren't shown on a model. You can read more about that here.

I hope you gained a couple of new ideas from these tips! I was not asked or compensated to write this post aside from being provided with the clothing items designated as c/o, but as always I want my content to provide you with a more informed shopping experience!

Reminder! The $250 Nordstrom Giveaway is ending soon so head here to enter!

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CONVERSATION

27
comments:

Thanks for the tips! I'm learning too (the hard way) that this works for most any online order, even if it's easy for me to make returns. Paying attention to fabric type and measurements saves me time in not having to make returns.

These are super helpful tips Gina and I totally agree! I never pick anything from SheIn unless they have bloggers pictures up or regular shoppers who have uploaded their pics so you can see how it actually looks and fits on! They do have some gems and I've been lucky to get amazing pieces from them. Martawww.sweatersstripesandsweets.com

I so agree with you! My shopping habits are forever changed because I LOVE finding those gems! Plus, even though something from them might be popular among bloggers, no one else in real life has it so it's nice to have some unique pieces.

Really great tips and ones I use all the time when selecting products from these companies. I have definitely been burned the first couple of orders so really started paying attention to the measurements and fabric stretch. You have selected some really cute items - I just love the crochet top!

Thanks for the research and experiences. Maybe someday I'm spend time on those sites again. I tried ordering from those shops a long time ago and was irritated beyond belief when I got the craptastic ill fitting pieces in the mail. Swore them off forever. Maybe someday I'll try again, with your tips in mind. But most of me thinks it is not worth the extra time it takes to correctly shop/compare/size the pieces. You do make it tempting though...

I think you hit two nails on the head here! One, it definitely takes me longer to shop and select pieces at these places than anywhere else I shop. They cost a lot more in time than they do in money! And that's the reason I really try to pick unique pieces that I can't find other places. For basics and stuff, it's probably not worth the trouble.

Super helpful Gina! I was contacted by a similar company just on Monday, but I'm unsure if I want to take the risk. However, measuring yourself ( which I have yet to do since my wedding dress!) is probably the way to go. It all seems to run very small though and that worries me because although I know my bust size, a lot of tops are hard to accommodate my thicker upper arms! Anyway, these companies do have really cute things!

I have actually been surprised that their stuff doesn't run as small as I expected (but your brand may be different!). It's definitely worth looking into their stuff to see if they have anything you like!

Great tips, Gina! I have ordered tops from Sheln and I would say it can be hit or miss. My problem is that I never take the time to return anything because I figure the merchandise is already so inexpensive it doesn't seem worth it. That has left me with quite a few oversized tops in my closet :)

Sizing can be tricky but there are so many great things to find at places like this once you figure it out! I did a post years ago on Sizing tips at SheIn and it's still one of my most viewed posts. Since then they have added the model measurements which helps even more!

this is a fabulous post Gina! very helpful. I've ordered from shein several times, but not for ages.. basically not since they became shein i think lol. i only have one item i still wear, everything else was a fail from the get go or only lasted a couple of wears, which sucks. i have a lot of things i wanted to buy, but honestly, my height is the number one reason i don't. and it's weird because i don't think i'm *that* tall, but they certainly don't make long clothes. i ordered a dress that had SO many reviews of people saying it was ridiculously long and they needed to have it hemmed and it was short (and uneven actually) on me. i'm not mad about any of my purchases because they were so cheap, but i definitely didn't have a lot of luck. i think they've changed a bit since i ordered though so maybe i should give them another go. i can spend hours on their site lol

Oh yes, so true. It takes me HOURS to choose anything from them! I know I spend too much time selecting things but I can't help it because there are such cute pieces and I don't want to miss anything. I do think it runs shorter in the torso on average vs. brands we have here so I could see why a lot of it might not work for taller people!